Rebooting The Matrix? Hollywood Seems To Have Run Out Of Ideas!

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If presented with a red pill and a blue pill, both of which lead to Hollywood re-making The Matrix, what would you do?

In our hearts, we all knew this day would come. Warner Bros. is planning a reboot of The Matrix just 18 years after the iconic sci-fi action film dazzled audiences around the world, according to the Hollywood Reporter.

If your answer is "throw both pills out the window because the idea of a Matrix re-do is ridiculous," we understand your struggle. Keanu Reeves forever.

An original story by the Wachowski siblings, The Matrix trilogy followed Neo, a computer programmer played by Keanu Reeves, who comes to realize that his existence is a simulated reality created by artificially intelligent machines. The films were lauded for their creativity, special effects, and distinct cyberpunk and manga influences. In total, the trilogy grossed over $1.6 billion worldwide.

Reeves is not expected to be “the One” to lead the new film.

Wachowskis, who also directed all three films, are reportedly not involved in the reboot at this stage either. It’s unclear whether the reboot will take the form of a sequel, remake, or spin-off story set within the same cinematic universe.

It's possible that WB may be wary of including them on the reboot, due to the negative critical reception of The Matrix Reloaded and The Matrix Revolutions, in addition to the disappointing box office numbers for their most recent films, Cloud Atlas, and Jupiter Ascending.

Instead, the script is reportedly being written by Zak Penn, known for working on hugely successful comic book films like X2 and The Avengers as well as creating the cult-hit Syfy show Alphas.

The Matrix will join other famous film properties—Star Wars, Godzilla, Planet of the Apes, and Terminator among them—receiving a recent franchise reboot or “reimagining.”

Others include RoboCop, Star Trek, Ghostbusters, and Jurassic Park. Meanwhile, reboots of Indiana Jones, Predator, Jumanji, and every superhero movie that’s ever existed, are scheduled to hit theaters soon. And TV, for its part, is a dystopian wasteland of bland prequels to famous action movies.

Hollywood relying on tentpole franchises, instead of taking risks on original ideas is not new or surprising.

But many believed that certain properties like The Matrix were off limits—at least so soon after originally being made. It’s clear now, though, that the major film studios can’t afford to wait. They have no other ideas.

This puts the studios in a precarious situation because the once tried-and-true strategy of inundating cinemas with popular franchise extensions no longer looks as foolproof as it used to. A slew of sequels and remakes performed poorly at the box office last year, leading some in the industry to wonder whether audiences are starting to crave more originality. Ironically, by avoiding the inherent risks in greenlighting unproven ideas, Hollywood may be taking the biggest risk of all.

While development is apparently still very early, the report mentions that WB executives are considering (former Men's Fitness cover star) Michael B. Jordan (Creed) in the starring role.

Hopefully Warner Bros. will shed some new light on these reports of The Matrix reboot soon.

Michael B. Jordan is currently filming Black Panther, which hits theaters on February 16, 2018.

Do you believe new Matrix could forge its own path and please the audiences of the original trilogy?